Language Proficiency

2
Directions: This subtest will measure your fluency in English and
Filipino. Read the sentence/question/passage first before selecting
the letter that corresponds to your answer.

1. May I please request that each of the two groups take an

position in the issue now.
A. alternating
B. alternative
C. alternate
D. all of the above

2. mountains aplenty in the Philippines.

A. There is
B. There are
C. There were
D. There was

3. The student badly needs her teacher's

A. advice
B. advise
C. advising
D. advisory

13
4. Choose the correct and effective sentence from the set of
sentences.
A. She only walked fifteen miles when her legs gave out.
B. She had only walked for about fifteen miles when her legs gave
out.
C. She has walked only fifteen miles when her legs gave out.
D. She had walked only fifteen miles when her legs gave out.

5. A thousand pesos __________ not enough compensation and

you _________ it.
A. are – knows
B. are – know
C. is – know
D. is – knows

6. If we __________ harder we would have passed the UPCAT.

A. study
B. had studied
C. studied
D. have studied

7. Amicable means the same as –

A. friendly
B. anxious
C. jealous
D. patient

8. are you deserting me you are also taking

our supplies.
A. neither—nor
B. not only—but
C. both—and
D. either—or
14
9. Lolita is going to Switzerland ___________ May next year.
Particularly, she would be leaving ___________ eight o’clock a.m
_________ New Year’s Day.
A. in – on – on
B. at – on – at
C. in – at – in
D. in – at – on

10. Choose the correct and effective sentence from the set of
sentences.
A. Father jogs exuberantly to the park every morning before
breakfast to exercise his heart.
B. Father exuberantly jogs every morning to the park to exercise his
heart before breakfast.
C. Father, to exercise his heart, jogs exuberantly every morning
before breakfast to the park.
D. Father jogs exuberantly every morning before breakfast to the
park to exercise his heart.

11. She ______________ finished the project before tomorrow.

A. None of the above
B. would have
C. will have
D. should have

Questions 12 – 14: Read the group of words provided. There may

be a mistake in the sentence structure. If you find a mistake,
choose the answer that is written most clearly and correctly. If there
is no mistake, choose Correct as is.

12. Veronica left the room, turned right, and, without any hesitation,
walked outside.
15
A. Leaving the room, turning right, Veronica walking outside without
any hesitation.
B. Veronica left the room and she turned right and walked outside
without any hesitation.
C. Veronica left the room turned right and walked outside without
any hesitation.
D. Correct as is

13. There are extra chairs in that room that are not needed or
necessary.
A. There are extra chairs in that room.
B. There are extra and unnecessary chairs in that room.
C. The extra chairs in that room are not needed or necessary.
D. Correct as is

14. Some tortoises living up to 100 years are among the world’s
oldest animals.
A. The world’s oldest animals, some living up to 100 years are
some tortoises.
B. Some tortoises, among the world’s oldest animals, are living up
to 100 years.
C. Living up to 100 years, some tortoises are among the world’s
oldest animals.
D. Correct as is
For question numbers 15 – 21: Determine which of the following
synonyms on the given choices best corresponds to how the
underlined word/s were used on each sentence.

15. Leo made a disappointed, misunderstood face from the many

creases at his disposal.
A. authority
B. distribution
C. garbage unit
D. regulation

16
16. Joana's reply to his query was sure and crisp, that it didn't took
too long before she was able to prod him away.
A. brittle
B. lively
C. concise
D. fragile

17. The professor took an immaculate handkerchief out of his

pocket, and began to polish the lenses of his glasses.
A. pure
B. spotless
C. error-free
D. flawless

18. Much of his writing is slack that is why readers get bored at his
works.
A. lacks action
B. lacks completeness/perfection
C. lacks firmness
D. lacks diligence

19. Members shall be adequately braced to resist lateral and

torsional displacement.
A. connected together
B. supported with braces
C. reinforced
D. get ready for an attack

20. Pauline's words had made all sorts of frightened echoes in our
minds.
A. a close imitation
B. an answering sympathetic effect
C. a soft recurrence of a statement
D. a reverberation of sound waves
17
21. The dead load consists of the weight of the structure
completed.
A. empty
B. inert
C. constant
D. lifeless

22. The cold air mass will move south from Canada.
In which sentence does the word mass mean the same thing as in
the sentence above?
A. The storm warning of a blizzard caused mass concern.
B. The oil mass spread quickly into the ocean.
C. There was a mass of people gathering to watch the parade.
D. The 100-member choir will mass in the auditorium on Saturday.

Questions 23 – 27: Choose the correct sequence of sentences

that will make the paragraph more organized and logical.

23.
(1) This mere mechanism of reading becomes altogether
automatic at an early period of life.
(2) You will often find yourself reading words or characters
automatically, while your mind is concerned with a totally
different subject.
(3) This can be performed irrespective of attention.
(4) In as much, neither can I call it reading when it is just to
extract the narrative portion of a text from the rest simply for
one’s personal amusement.
(5) To read the characters or the letters of the text does not
mean reading in the true sense of the word.

A. 5-2-1-3-4
B. 3-5-1-2-4
C. 2-1-3-4-5
18
 D. 5-3-2-1-4

24.
(1) Most of this material which we call ash, stays behind after
the fire burns out.
(2) When we burn fuel such as wood, oil or coal, the fuel
combines with oxygen in the air to form gases that escape
into the atmosphere.
(3) Some of it, however, is carried aloft by the hot gases of the
fire and adds to the volume of smoke produced.
(4) In addition, most of the fuels contain a small amount of
various substances that do not burn.
(5) But most of the burning we do is far from perfect, so tiny
particles of unburned fuel escape up the chimney in the form
of smoke.

A. 2-5-3-4-1
B. 2-3-5-1-4
C. 2-3-5-4-1
D. 2-5-4-1-3

25.
(1) In the Philippines, the population boom has derailed efforts
to make the benefits of economic growth trickle down to the
grassroots. Thousands of new people are born on our
planet every day.
(2) With the population galloping toward the 100-million mark,
the Philippines will be among one of several developing
nations leading global population growth in the coming
years, according to the United Nations.
(3) With limited resources and economic growth failing to keep
pace with the population boom, this means more people
getting an ever-shrinking share of the pie.

19
 (4) This has been a problem in previous administrations and
remains a problem of the Aquino government, despite
sustained economic growth since 2010.
(5) This is true both in the Philippines and around the planet,
whose resources cannot meet the demands especially of the
poorest segments of the 7.2 billion population.

A. 1-2-3-4-5
B. 4-2-3-1-5
C. 2-3-5-1-4
D. 5-3-2-1-4

26.
(1) Ang bawat polista ay kinakailangang magtrabaho ng
apatnapung araw sa bawat taon.
(2) Ang polo y servicios o sapilitang paggawa ay ang sapilitang
paglilingkod sa pamahalaang mga Pilipinong lalaki mula 16
hanggang 60 taong gulang.
(3) Noong 1884, ito ay ginagawa na lamang labinlimang araw.
(4) Ang mga manggagawa sa ilalim ng polo y servicios ay
tinatawag na polista.
(5) Upang makaligtas sa sapilitang paggawa, kinakailangang
magbayad ng falla na tanging mga mayayaman lamang ang
nakakabayad.

A. 2-4-1-3-5
B. 2-5-1-4-3
C. 2-3-1-5-4
D. 2-1-5-4-3

27.
(1) Ipinakikita ng panitikang eksistensyal ang kamulatan sa
kamalian at kahangalan ng uniberso.

20
 (2) Madalas na paksa nito ang mga bagay at galaw na etikal na
titiyak sa kahulugan ng buong buhay ng isang indibidwal.
(3) Ang eksistensyalismo ay naniniwalang ang tao mismo ang
gumagawa at humuhubog ng kanyang kapalaran.
(4) Di nito tinatanggap na ang herediti at kapaligiran ang
tumitiyak sa motibasyon at ang pag-uugali ng tao.
(5) Ang kanyang kahihinatnan ay ayon sa kanyang pagpili ng
aksyon o ng pamamaraan ng pamumuhay.

A. 3-1-2-5-4
B. 3-5-4-1-2
C. 3-5-1-2-4
D. 3-2-1-4-5

28. His reassuring words mitigated our fears. Mitigated means –

A. reinforced
B. added to
C. caused
D. eased

29. By the time the operation ends, Billy _____ a total of 1,300
hours for his friend and _____ countless outdated magazines in the
emergency room waiting area.
A. will have waited…will have read
B. have waited…have read
C. waited…read
D. will have waited…read

30. Sarah wanted to see the concert she had been looking forward
to it for a long time. Choose the answer that is the best way to write
the underlined section of the sentence.
A. concert, she had been
B. concert; she had been
21
C. concert she has been
D. Correct as is

Questions 31 – 35: Ayusin ang mga sumusunod na salita upang

makabuo ng makabuluhang pangungusap.

31. nilalaman kuwento unawain ang ng

1 2 3 4 5

A. 3-4-5-2-1
B. 3-4-1-5-2
C. 3-5-1-2-3
D. 3-1-2-4-5

32. takdang sala ang may lahat parusa ng

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A. 4-6-3-2-7-1-5
B. 4-1-6-3-5-7-2
C. 4-1-3-5-7-2-6
D. 4-2-3-5-7-6-1

33. isang ang buhay gulong ay

1 2 3 4 5

A. 2-5-3-4-1
B. 2-4-5-1-3
C. 2-5-3-1-4
D. 2-3-5-1-4

22
34.Celso ang hinihintay ano mo pa
1 2 3 4 5 6

A. 4-6-2-3-5-1
B. 4-5-6-2-3-1
C. 1-2-6-5-4-3
D. 1-4-5-3-2-6

35. kabataan ang ay mahalagang isang ng buhay

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
yugto

A. 2-5-1-6-7-8-3-4
B. 2-1-3-4-6-7-5-8
C. 2-1-3-5-4-8-6-7
D. 2-5-6-1-4-7-3-8

36. Neither of her Oscar awards, however, _____ been polished for
a long time.
A. have
B. is
C. has
D. have already

37. By the time the operation ends, Billy _____ a total of 1,300
hours for his friend and _____ countless outdated magazines in the
emergency room waiting area.
A. will have waited…will have read
B. have waited…have read
C. waited…read
D. will have waited…read
23
38. Patungo ______________ ang mga kandidato.
A. roon
B. doon
C. dito
D. rin

Questions 39 – 41: Read the paragraph and then answer the

questions that follow it.

“The Challenge”
It started when she was in elementary school. Sonia knew that she
wanted to be a champion synchronized swimmer. Today’s
competition would determine whether she would earn the
opportunity to go to the national contest. She performed the
required technical routines flawlessly and led the other swimmers
going into the free competition, the portion of the program that
counted most. This series of choreographed moves performed to
music required a couple of qualities. For one particularly difficult
element, Sonia had to remain upside down in the water for over half
a minute. She could tell by the audience’s thunderous applause
when she emerged from the pool that the performance had gone
well. Seconds later the judges confirmed it; Sonia was on her way
to the national contest.

39. This series of choreographed moves performed to music

required a couple of qualities?
Good writers describe the subject using details. How can the
underlined words be better written to include exact details?
A. some abilities that she had to develop
B. specific physical qualities
C. special moves
D. great strength and control

24
40. Which sentence would not belong in this paragraph?
A. Sonia had worked hard for many years to get to this point.
B. The routine had gone smoothly, and Sonia had done even better
than she had anticipated.
C. The cool water always felt wonderful to Sonia; she loved the
smell of chlorine.
D. Her dream, since childhood, was finally coming true.

41. Which of these would be the best topic sentence for this
paragraph?
A. A synchronized swimming team will be sent to the Olympics.
B. Sonia got a new swimsuit and cap for the competition.
C. Only a few extremely talented athletes win competitions.
D. For almost as long as she could remember, Sonia had wanted to
go to the Olympics.

Questions 42 – 56: Choose the alternative that best expresses the

idea in standard written English and is worded most consistently
with the tone of the passage. If you believe the original version is
best, then choose “NO CHANGE.” There will also be questions
about sections of the passage or about the passage as a whole.
Read the entire passage before answering any of the questions.
For some questions you may need to read beyond the underlined
section in order to determine the correct answer.

Building the Plaza de Toros

Thousands of tourists from all over the world gather in Seville,

Spain each year, two weeks after Easter Holy Week, to witness the
La Real Maestranza. La Real Maestranza is part of the Seville
Fair, and the Fair (42) originated back in 1847 when (43) it was
originally organized as a livestock fair. Of central importance to the
festival are the bullfights that took place (44) in the Plaza de Toros,
a circular ring on Baratillo Hill.
25
Construction on the stunning and beautiful (45) Plaza de Toros
first begun in 1749 but had not completed (46) for many years after.
The inner facade of the plaza (called the Palco del Príncipe or
Prince’s Box) was completed in 1765, and this box consists of
two parts; the (47) access gate through which the successful
bullfighters exited (48), and the theater box itself, which was
reserved for the exclusive use of not only the Spanish King and
Queen, but for (49) other members of the Royal Family. [50]

When monarch Carlos III prohibited bullfighting celebrations in

1786, work halted, and (51) only one-third of the plaza had been
completed (52) at the time. The construction of the ring was finally
completed in 1881, two thirds (53) were constructed in stone, the
rest in wood.

Choosing to redo them in brick, the stone grandstands were

replaced between 1914 and 1915 by architect Anival
Gonzalez. (54) All the rows were reconstructed with a smoother
slope. Ten to twelve rows of shaded seating were constructed as
well as fourteen rows in the sun and three rows of barrier. A row of
armchairs was built in the superior part of the shaded area,
and they (55) were placed in front of the theater boxes. [56]

42.
A. NO CHANGE
B. which originated
C. which did originate
D. and the Fair originated

43.
A. NO CHANGE
B. in which
C. after which
D. as

26
44.
A. NO CHANGE
B. had taken place
C. did take place
D. take place

45.
A. NO CHANGE
B. stunning yet beautiful
C. beautiful
D. stunning, however beautiful,

46.
A. NO CHANGE
B. was began in 1749 and was not completed
C. had begun in 1749 and had completed
D. began in 1749 but was not completed

47.
A. NO CHANGE
B. parts: the
C. parts, the
D. parts the

48.
A. NO CHANGE
B. did exit
C. are exiting
D. will exit

49.
A. NO CHANGE
B. not only the Spanish King and Queen, yet for
27
C. not only the Spanish King and Queen, but also for
D. not the Spanish King and Queen, but also for

50. Which of the sentences below does not belong anywhere in the
second paragraph?
A. The bullring is the oldest bullring constructed entirely of stone,
because most others were constructed with a combination of stone
and brick.
B. The stands were constructed in two levels of seating of 5 raised
rows per level and 136 Tuscan sandstone columns.
C. Seville’s fair is officially known as the April Fair, but in fact, it
hasn’t always been celebrated entirely in April and once, it even
had to be celebrated in May.
D. The Royal Box has a sloping roof covered in Arabic tiles.

51.
A. NO CHANGE
B. nevertheless
C. because
D. even though

52.
A. NO CHANGE
B. were completed
C. will complete
D. are completed

53.
A. NO CHANGE
B. 1881; two thirds
C. 1881, two thirds,
D. 1881—two thirds

28
54.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Choosing to redo them in brick, between 1914 and 1915
architect Anival Gonzalez replaced the stone grandstands.
C. Choosing to redo them in brick, architect Anival Gonzalez
replaced the stone grandstands between 1914 and 1915.
D. Choosing, between 1914 and 1915, to redo them in brick,
architect Anival Gonzalez replaced the stone grandstands.

55.
A. NO CHANGE
B. those
C. these chairs
D. it

56. Which of the following sentences best completes the passage?

A. Today spectators from around the world enjoy watching this
traditional Spanish sport in this world-class ring.
B. Between 1729 and 1733 Felipe V stayed in Seville and received
support from the Corporation in spite of being French and the first
Bourbon king of Spain.
C. More than 12,500 spectators can watch the fight between the
torero and the bull in this ring.
D. During the Seville Festival, men and women dress up in their
finery, ideally the traditional "traje corto" (short jacket, tight trousers
and boots) for men and the "faralaes" or "trajes de flamenca"
(flamenco style dress) for women.

Questions 57 – 64: Determine which of the following synonyms on

the given choices best corresponds to how the underlined word/s
were used on each sentence.

57. His stoic attitude earned him the title "man made of stone."
A. active
B. heavy
29
C. hard
D. indifferent

58. Samuel could not stand the gelid surroundings of the Alpine
Mountains.
A. very cold
B. very hot
C. humid
D. tepid

59. Do not worry about running short of rice because we had a

copious harvest last month.
A. weak
B. innumerable
C. depleting
D. abundant

60. Jojo is suffering from asphyxia. Noxious gases during fire have
suffocated him.
A. an unconscious state
B. a state of trance
C. a state of suppression
D. a state of affliction

61. Her hair was full and lightly curled.

A. chubby
B. filled
C. detailed
D. thick

62. The judge exculpated the accused for lack of evidence.

A. proved guilty
B. exonerated
30
C. banished
D. proved innocent

63. The politician was criticized for his preposterous remarks.

A. lengthy
B. witty
C. absurd
D. promising

64. Having lived with three old maids, Lucy projects a reticent
attitude.
A. meek
B. effusive
C. effulgent
D. offensive

65.________________ni Aling Nena ang mga pinamalengke dahil

sa takot.
A. Nabitawan
B. Nabitiwan
C. Nalaglag
D. Nabuhos

66. Ang pagbabasa ng mga iba’t ibang aklat sa Filipino ay isang

mabisang paraan upang lalong ______________ang kaalaman ng
mag-aaral tungkol sa wika.
A. malinang
B. maayos
C. masinop
D. masubukan

31
67._____________-Negros ang tagapag-alaga ni Norma.
A. Taga
B. Tiga
C. Mala
D. Parang

68. Nakipaghuntahan na naman _____ ang kasama mo _____ sa

kabilang ibayo.
A. raw, roon
B. raw, doon
C. daw, roon
D. daw, doon

69. Mrs. Santos is very happy because her pupil who used to be
very vociferous doesn’t talk much anymore.
A. lazy
B. active
C. talkative
D. sleepy

Questions 70 – 83: Select the word or pair of words that

appropriately completes the following relationship.

70. ode : poetry;

A. theme : essay
B. conflict : short story
C. fable : prose

32
D. tragedy : drama

71. each : somebody;

A. that : oh
B. gracefully : dance
C. sing : song
D. which : whom

72. peal : peel;

A. steal : still
B. fair : fare
C. buy : vie
D. great : greet

73. herd : cattle;

A. colony : termites
B. pack : peacocks
C. hive : wolves
D. covey : whales

74. epic : elegy;

A. allegro : plot
B. sonata : satire
C. radar : allegory
D. couplet : sonnet

75. golf : hole;

A. baseball : glove
B. archery - bull's eye
C. bowling : pin
D. tennis : racket

33
76. protein : meat;
A. energy : sugar
B. calories : water
C. vitamins : minerals
D. starch : potatoes

77. fern : plant;

A. shark : water
B. cat : lion
C. collie : boxer
D. dog : animal

78. try : tried;

A. came : come
B. fly : flew
C. go : gone
D. dead : died

79. lion : cub;

A. duck : drake
B. child : baby
C. horse : colt
D. goat : lamb

80. rabies : dogs;

A. malaria : mosquitoes
B. fever : ants
C. cough : worms
D. AIDS : rat

81. gloves : hand;

A. welder : steel
B. gun : combat
C. field : football
D. helmet : head
34
82. gun : holster;
A. sword : scabbard
B. sword : slay
C. sword : bayonet
D. sword : cadet

83. canvas : painting;

A. clay : pottery
B. clay : mold
C. clay : art
D. clay : statue

Directions: Choose the alternative that best expresses the idea in

standard written English and is worded most consistently with the
tone of the passage. If you believe the original version is best, then
choose “NO CHANGE.” There will also be questions about sections
of the passage or about the passage as a whole. Read the entire
passage before answering any of the questions. For some
questions you may need to read beyond the underlined section in
order to determine the correct answer.

For questions 84 – 98:

Passage 1
“Hair-raising Problems”
Why is it that we are so completely obsessive (84) with the hair on
our heads? Millions of dollars are spent each year on cutting hair,
lengthening hair, bleaching hair, straightening hair, curling hair,
highlighting hair, and even growing hair; whatever you can do to
hair, someone is willing to pay the money (85) to do it.

Natural redheads long for to be (86) brunettes and dishwater

blondes dream of shiny golden tresses. Both men and women
cringe at the sight of each gray hair, so (87) teenagers enjoy
35
weekly experiments with magenta dyes, spikes, and tangerine
streaks.

All of these thoughts cross my mind as I examine the result of (88)

my most recent hair adventure. As a mature woman watching the
gray hairs mixing in rapidly (89) with my natural brunette tones, I
decided over a year ago, to (90) approach my stylist with the idea
of highlights. Having seen many of my peers go this route, I figured
that highlighting was for to be (91) the answer to my reluctance to
look my age.

[1] The monthly highlighting went well: excepting (92) for those
times when my hair turned out a little too subdued, making me look
partially gray instead of brunette. [2] I suffered through it
remarkably well, saying to myself, “She’ll get it right the next time.”

[3] For the most part, (93) I’ve enjoyed my year of highlights, so
much so that I bravely approached Donna, my stylist, two months
ago and proclaimed that I was done with wimpy highlighting and
ready to go blonde.

[4] The result was not quite what I expected, but I resolved to live
with it! (94). [5] Donna was surprised at my suggestion, but quickly
began sharing my unbridled enthusiasm as she gathers (95) the
appropriate chemicals and concoctions that would soon transform
me.

Three months later, I find myself seesawing between tears and (96)
laughter as I attempt to cover up a patch of nearly bald scalp on the
top of my head.

For someone who has long been fanatical about the appearance of
her hair, this absence of hair has proven to be quite a challenge to
my ego and self-confidence. I’ve always enjoyed styling my hair,
and suddenly, I have nothing to style.

Each time I begin to experience a new pang of disgust and despair

over this new hair anomaly, I once again ask myself why we are so
36
obsessed with the hair on our heads. The answer always comes to
me in a flash, in a simple two-word phrase: pure vanity. Soon after
this realization, I cease my crying. (97)

84.
A. NO CHANGE
B. obsessed
C. obsessing
D. obsessioned

85.
A. NO CHANGE
B. pay
C. paying money
D. have paid

86.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to have
C. to be
D. becoming for

87.
A. NO CHANGE
B. however
C. yet
D. and

88.
A. NO CHANGE
B. result for
C. result with
D. result by

37
89.
A. NO CHANGE
B. rapidly mixing
C. mixed rapidly in
D. rapidly mix in to

90.
A. NO CHANGE
B. ago to
C. ago: to
D. ago to,

91.
A. NO CHANGE
B. was being
C. could of been
D. was

92.
A. NO CHANGE
B. well, except
C. well except
D. well. Except

93.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Also
C. Instead
D. In light of this

94.
For the sake of logic and coherence, Sentence 5 should
38
be placed:
A. where it is now.
B. before Sentence 1.
C. after Sentence 2.
D. before Sentence 4.

95.
A. NO CHANGE
B. she was gathering
C. she had been gathering
D. she gathered

96.
A. NO CHANGE
B. along with
C. or
D. as well as

97. The writer is considering deleting the preceding sentence. If the

sentence was deleted, the essay would
primarily lose:
A. a summary of the essay.
B. the narrator’s ability to put her situation into perspective.
C. a stylistic link to the essay’s introduction.
D. an understanding of the author’s purpose in writing the essay.

98. Suppose the writer had chosen to write a how-to article for
people wanting to change their hair color. Would this essay fulfill
the writer’s goal?
A. Yes, because the author’s approach to changing her own hair
color would ease the anxiety of others wishing to do the same.
B. Yes, because this essay emphasizes the universality of people
changing their hairstyles and hair color.

39
C. No, because this article only deals with the narrator’s own
experimentation with her hair and does not provide steps for others
to do the same.
D. No, because the essay discourages people from changing their
hair color.

For questions 99 – 113:

Passage 2
“A Modern Blacksmith”
You will probably never find his name in a history book, but to this
day, Walker Lee continues to contribute to America heritage (99).
Walker Lee is an old-fashioned, modernday blacksmith who still
practices (100) the fine art of manipulating metal over a hot fire. In
his words, “Blacksmithing is no dying art!”

Walker Lee had began (101) his career in hand-forged ironwork at

the age of 30. The idea of creating an object out of iron, a most
intractable material (102), appealed to him. He started on this new
venture by collecting and reading every book he could find that
described the process of blacksmithing: its history, its practical and
decorative uses, and the equipment needed to establish and outfit
his own smithy. During the course of his research, Lee discovered
a tool necessary for the success of any blacksmith: the anvil, a
heavy block of iron or steel upon which the blacksmith hammered
and shaped the malleable metal.

Lee bought his first anvil from 84-year-old Hurley Alford Templeton
of Philadelphia, lugging (103) it home to Michigan in the back of a
4-H county bus. This anvil weighed 100 pounds, about the
minimum size Walker Lee needed to get started (104) in his craft.

Lee’s first anvil cost him $100, and four months later, he paid $75
for an additional implement—a vice—from Cornell University in
New York. This important tool also made its (105) way back to
Michigan in the back of Lee’s 4-H bus.

40
Lee had spent the summer carting 4-H groups out from Michigan to
the east coast for various county fairs and expositions. (106)

Once Lee obtained his first portable forge, he was ready to build his
blacksmith shop, commonly referred to as a “smithy.” (107) In the
interest of economy, he constructed this shop out of inexpensive
oak planks and tarpaper. It was a crude little shack but stood for
(108) only nine years. Lee, who by then was completely hooked on
blacksmithing, replaced his first shop with a finer one made of more
expensive wood; this shop also had glass windows, a definite
improvement over Lee’s original “smithy.”

[1] The very first object Lee forged was a long, pointed (109)
Hudson Bay dagger. [2] Many people refer to this type of knife as a
“dag.” [3] As he recalls that event he says, “From the minute I first
saw the thing take shape, I was hooked . . . still am. There’s an
element of magic in it to me. You heat it up and pound it with a
hammer and it goes where you want it to go.”

[4] Years later at a family event Lee (110), Discovered that his
Italian ancestors were accomplished coppersmiths. [5] During the
gathering, Lee’s great uncle Johnny was proclaiming (111) that
Lee’s propensity for blacksmithing was “in the blood” as he happily
presented Lee with a new 125-pound anvil. (112)

As an outside observer watches (113) Walker Lee bending and

shaping a hot metal rod into some recognizable form, it is difficult to
discern the origin of the magic Lee spoke of; is it in the glowing,
orange steel or in Walker himself?

99.
A. NO CHANGE
B. American heritage.
C. Americas heritage.
D. American’s heritage.

41
100.
A. NO CHANGE
B. who still continues to practice
C. who continues to still practice
D. who practices still

101.
A. NO CHANGE
B. had begun
C. begun
D. began

102.
Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would
NOT be acceptable?
A. one of the most intractable metals, iron,
B. a most intractable material, that being iron
C. iron (a most intractable material)
D. a most intractable material, iron,

103. Which choice most emphasizes the difficulty in moving the

large anvil?
A. NO CHANGE
B. taking
C. driving
D. transporting

104. At this point, the writer wants to express how Lee first
began the craft of blacksmithing. Which choice would
most effectively accomplish this task?
A. NO CHANGE
B. continue
42
C. keep going
D. move on

105.
A. NO CHANGE
B. it’s
C. its’
D. the

106.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Carting 4-H groups out from Michigan to the east
coast for various county fairs and expositions, Lee
had spent the summer.
C. Lee had spent the summer, for various county
fairs and expositions, carting 4-H groups out from
Michigan to the east coast.
D. OMIT the underlined portion.

107. Given that all of the choices are true, which one
would most effectively introduce the subject of this
paragraph?
A. NO CHANGE
B. Obtaining a portable forge for the shop proved to
be Lee’s biggest challenge.
C. Blacksmith shops can be difficult to construct, but
the most challenging task is moving the necessary
equipment into it.
D. A blacksmith’s forge requires some type of blower
in order to keep the fire hot enough to bend the
steel.

43
108.
A. NO CHANGE
B. that stood for
C. which standing for
D. and stands for

109.
A. NO CHANGE
B. long pointed,
C. long, and pointed
D. long-pointed

110.
A. NO CHANGE
B. later at a family, event Lee
C. later, at a family event, Lee,
D. later, at a family event, Lee

111.
A. NO CHANGE
B. proclaimed
C. had been proclaiming
D. having proclaimed

112. Which of the following sentences in this paragraph is

LEAST relevant to the main focus of the essay and,
therefore, could be deleted?
A. Sentence 2
B. Sentence 3
C. Sentence 4
D. Sentence 5

44
113.
A. NO CHANGE
B. was watching
C. had been watching
D. watched

For questions 114 – 128:

Passage 3
“Unfulfilled Promises”
If you have ever entered a contest of any sort—you (114) are well
aware of the legal requirements, exclusions, and disclaimers that
always accompany (115) the contest’s entry form. Many laws today
regulate a contest sponsor’s responsibilities to the entrants, and
courts are filled with lawsuits asserting with non-compliance (116)
on both sides.

However, this was not always the case. In 1896, a contest

motivated a Norwegian immigrant, Helga Estby, to travel nearly
3,500 miles on foot (117) from the state of Washington to New York
City. Unfortunately, as is still sometimes true, Helga won the
competition only to find that the promise (118) $10,000 award was
mysteriously absent.

[1] Helga had been living (119) on her farm with her husband and
nine children in Spokane, Washington, when she read of a $10,000
prize being offered to a woman who was willing to walk across the
country. [2] Because the Estby farm was facing foreclosure, Helga
decided that walking across the country in a bicycle skirt for that
kind of money was a small price to pay for a greater rewarding.
(120)

[3] At the time, this style of skirt was considered to be inappropriate

because it revealed the female ankle. [4] The only requirement,
from all accounts, was that she wear a modern, newfangled bicycle
skirt as she traveled. (121)
45
So, in May of 1896, Helga and her 18-year-old daughter, Clara, had
set off (122) on their long journey.

Helga carried a revolver and a spray gun containing red pepper for
protection. (123) Presumably, Helga and Clara found food and
shelter along the way, and they arrived in New York City in
December, seven months after their departure. The contest
sponsors, however, were to be found nowhere. (124)

This story of bravery and persistence had therefore been kept a

secret (125) for nearly a century, primarily because Helga’s seven-
month absence from the farm wreaked havoc on her family. Two of
her children died of diphtheria while she was gone. Even worse, her
husband had sequestered the surviving children in an unheated
shed, thinking that this was the only way to keep them from being
infected with the disease. Since the contest sponsor failed to award
Helga the money, the Estbys ended up losing the farm; her
expedition had been a disaster.

At the time, Helga’s trip was considered an embarrassment by the

Norwegian-American community and was kept utterly quiet. After
Helga’s death, her own children burned the hundreds of pages
Helga had written through the years, leaving only (126) a small
scrapbook of newspaper clippings and very few details of Helga’s
life or her ill-fated trip.

Looking back 100 years, one can only marvel at the boldness and
bravery that must have energized Helga Estby to make that journey
on foot across the country in an effort to save her family farm.(127)
(128)

114.
A. NO CHANGE
B. sort; you
C. sort you
D. sort, you

46
115.
A. NO CHANGE
B. always are accompanying
C. accompany always
D. are accompanying

116.
A. NO CHANGE
B. lawsuits asserting non-compliance
C. lawsuits of non-compliance asserting
D. non-compliance lawsuits asserting

117.
A. NO CHANGE
B. on foot, 3,500 miles
C. 3,500 miles on feet
D. 3,500 miles per foot

118.
A. NO CHANGE
B. promise for the
C. promised
D. promising

119.
A. NO CHANGE
B. been living
C. has been living
D. had lived

47
120.

A. NO CHANGE
B. greatly rewarding
C. great reward
D. greatest reward

121. Which of the following sequences of sentences makes this

paragraph most logical?
A. NO CHANGE
B. 1, 3, 2, 4
C. 3, 2, 4, 1
D. 1, 4, 3, 2

122.
A. NO CHANGE
B. have set off
C. set off
D. went to set off

123.
A. NO CHANGE
B. For protection, Helga carried a revolver as well as
a red pepper-containing spray gun.
C. Helga, for protection, she carried a revolver and a
spray gun containing red pepper.
D. Carried by Helga for protection were a revolver
and a spray gun containing red pepper.

124.
A. NO CHANGE
B. were nowhere when found
C. to be found nowhere
48
D. were nowhere to be found

125.
A. NO CHANGE
B. had been kept a secret
C. had been actually kept a secret
D. had in fact been kept a secret

126.
A. NO CHANGE
B. years leaving only
C. years; leaving only
D. years leaving only,

127. Given that all of the choices are true, which one would best
conclude the sentence while providing the reader with the most
specific explanation for Helga’s motivation to walk across the
country?
A. NO CHANGE
B. to win $10,000.
C. in an effort to save her children from diphtheria.
D. to help her daughter Clara gain experience.

128. At this point, the writer is considering adding the following

sentence:
In 1984, Helga’s great-great-grandson wrote a story about his
ancestor for a history assignment. Should the writer make this
addition here?
A. Yes, because it links the ending of the essay to its introduction.
B. Yes, because this information is highly relevant to the rest of the
essay.
C. No, because this story might not focus on Helga’s farm.
D. No, because this information introduces a new subtopic of the
essay.
49
Questions 129 – 133: Choose the word closest to the meaning to
the underlined word in the sentence.

129. The corrupt policeman was discharged from service due to his
ignominious act of accepting bribes.
A. honorable
B. disrespectable
C. unwanted
D. remarkable

130. Jacqueline is an irascible girl who frequently has tantrums.

A. impatient
B. cheerful
C. hot-tempered
D. jolly

131. The piquant mouse was able to find its way out of the maze in
a short while.
A. dumb
B. clever
C. small
D. unusual

132. Only a ruffian could do such a heinous act of killing a helpless

child.
A. an insane person
B. a brutal person
C. a lovable person
D. a confused person

133. The plane overshot the runway and landed on a ditch.

A. passed through
50
B. passed by
C. went beyond
D. did not reach

Questions 134 – 138: Choose the word opposite in meaning to the

underlined word in the sentence.

134. The garrulous girls were distanced from each other.

A. mute
B. talkative
C. behaved
D. quiet

135. The players were confused when the kibitzers suddenly

butted-in during the team’s huddle.
A. advisers
B. spectators
C. onlookers
D. crowd

136. Mahirap pakinggan ang sinasabi ng taong garil.

A. utal
B. bulol
C. matalino
D. matatas

137. Hungkag ang bigasan dahil nasira ng bagyo ang mga palay.
A. salat
B. puno
C. bulok
D. bago

51
138. Maantak ang sugat kapag napatakan ng kalamansi.
A. malaki
B. maliit
C. manhid
D. mahapdi

Questions 139 – 140: Piliin ang salitang kasing-kahulugan ng

salitang nakapahilig.

139. Dahil sa paulit-ulit na pagsisinungaling, basa ang papel niya

sa karamihan.
A. ayaw nang paniwalaan
B. ayaw nang pagbigyan
C. ayaw nang pakinggan
D. ayaw nang makasama

140. Ni ayaw man lamang humarap sa tao ang talo-saling na si

Eula.
A. masungit
B. isnabera
C. mahiyain
D. pangit

Questions 141 – 143: Choose the sentence that best combines the
underlined sentences.

141. The airport is called the Glynco Jetport. The airline

reservations and travel systems refer to its location as Brunswick,
Georgia.

52
A. Where the airport is called the Glynco Jetport, the airline
reservations and travel systems refer to the location as Brunswick,
Georgia.
B. But the airport is called the Glynco Jetport, the airline
reservations and travel systems refer to the location as Brunswick,
Georgia.
C. Even though the airline reservations and travel systems refer to
the location as Brunswick, Georgia, the airport is called the Glynco
Jetport.
D. When the airport is called the Glynco Jetport, the airline
reservations refer to the location as Brunswick, Georgia, and the
travel systems.

142. Plato believed that boys and girls should be given an equal
education. This idea is rarely mentioned in textbooks.
A. Plato believed that boys and girls should be given an equal
education, where this idea is rarely mentioned in textbooks.
B. Plato believed that boys and girls should be given an equal
education, an idea that is rarely mentioned in textbooks.
C. Believing that boys and girls should be given an equal
education, Plato’s idea is rarely mentioned in textbooks.
D. Plato believed that boys and girls should be given an equal
education, whereupon this idea is rarely mentioned in textbooks.

143. Recently there have been government cutbacks in funds.

Experts foresee steady hiring in the government’s future.
A. Despite recent government cutbacks in funds, experts foresee
steady hiring in the government’s future.
B. Whereupon recent government cutbacks in funds, experts
foresee steady hiring in the government’s future.
C. So that there have been recent government cutbacks in funds,
experts foresee steady hiring in the government’s future.
D. Nonetheless, there have been recent government cutbacks in
funds, experts foresee steady hiring in the government’s future.

53
Questions 144 -150: Fill in the blank with the word that creates the
most logical sentence.

144. Ruby loves blueberry pie _________ it is made with freshly

picked blueberries.
A. whether
B. because
C. when
D. as if

145. _________ our low annual fee, you will receive a 20%
discount if you sign up this week.
A. Because
B. While
C. In spite of
D. In addition to

146. I ________ the speech you gave last Thursday night, but I
was in bed with the flu.
A. will have heard
B. would hear
C. might hear
D. would have heard

147. . ________ the Beatles’ most popular songs— most of which

were written by Lennon and McCartney—are “I Want to Hold Your
Hand” and “Hey, Jude.”
A. With
B. Considering
C. Among
D. To

148. My neighbor is deathly afraid of dogs; ___________, I never

let my Golden Retriever, Sandy, outside without a leash.
54
A. moreover
B. yet
C. mainly
D. consequently

149. The ticket said the show would start at 8:00, but the curtains
didn’t go up _________ 8:30.
A. less than
B. until
C. about
D. since

150. A large percentage of the class _______ fascinated by the

museum.
A. was
B. be
C. any of the above
D. were

55